Joseph bebgb



Feb. 5. 1924.

J. BERGE ODOMETER MECHANISM Filed April 14 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 do 2 QJ 2 2 00 2mm .1 O 7 l m ME: Z x 1 U Feb. 5 1924. 1,482,596 J. BERGE ODOME'IBR MECHANISM Filed Aprii 14 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 155 46 4 I Gnuewtoz (Jose-p11 Baye Patented Feb; 5, ill-924;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH BERGE, or FLINT, mrcnio'an, ASSIGNOB TO A c SPARK PLUG comm, or FLINT,'MIC HIGAN, A conroaa'mon or MICHIGAN.

'ODOMETER MECHANISM.-

Application filed April 14, 1919. Serial No. 289,823.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, Josnrn BERG-E a citizen of the United States, and resident of Flint, Genesee County, State of Michi an,

have invented certain new and useful mwhich the following is a specification.

\0 or other ve cluding'a set of trip odometer wheels which may 'be-reset-to a zero reading afterf'eaeh;

trip, orfait'theend of each day-or other interval',-and -a.'set oftotal odometer wheels.

which register the total distance traveled.

during the several trips or'time intervals.

This present invention relates-to certain details of the odometer mechanism equally applicable to either the total-or to the trip 0 ometer wheels, and the objects thereof are to rovide certain improvements in and relatmg to the means for supporting the sev-.

eral odometer'wheels in roperrelation with one-another, to provi e certain 1mpr0vements in and relating to-the carry-on mechanism whereby each odometer wheel of a higher order of numbers is operated inter,

mittently from: the adjacent wheel of a lower :m

tain improvements in and relating to the inafter. and at length appear.

With the above and other objects of invention In view, my; invention consists in the odometer-wheels themselves, all as will here-- improved'odometer mechanism illustrated in the accompanying. drawing and hereinafter described and claimed, and in such variationsand modifications thereof aswill be obvious to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification and wherein the preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing my improved odometer mechanism:

,, Fig. 2 is a view showing a section upon a transverse plane indicated by the line II, II,

:IV; Figure 1;

0f. thegtotal odometer wheelsj as order or denomination, and to provide cer-.

- eren'ce'numeral'Z, and also a Figure 1, lookin to the left, the carry-0n pinion being in p acewithin the supporting member provided therefor and shown inelevation; a vI Fig. 3'is a similar view taken upon a trans verse plane indicated bythe line-III, III

re-l, looking to the right. i'g. 4' is a. view'showin a sectionupona transverse plane indicate by the line IV,

' Figure5 1s a view showin la section upon a. transverse plane indicate by the line 1V,

V Figure --1, looking tothe-l eft;;;.-,;- Fig; 6 is a sectional view showing: certain uippe with springs for arrestin' them set atr-the numbers o'n-th'em will bein line;;;.

: Fig; 7 is;a view showing the inside of one of the wheelsshown in. Figure 6.5-

FigureS is-a view showing-the-aligning: spring for arresting the movement-pf the odometer wheels in proper positions; Tand Figures 9 -and 10 are views showing a modified'form ofmarry on pinion supporting member a J" 7 7. at i Referring now to the :drawing, the reference numeral 5 designates a portion, of the shell or casing of the odometer within which the various elements thereof are contained, and 6 designates supports a plurality of total odometer; discs or wheels desi nated collectively by the reflurality oftrip odometer discs on wheels;- esignated 'as a whole by the reference numeral The wall' of the casin 5' is providedtwith two. oppositelyslocated II-shaped open. ended seats or recesses Q-and IOAv th-ingvhich the ends of the shaft 6 are supported -suitable stationary bearing members 11: made of'hardand wear resisting-material beingpreferabl provided within which the ends oisaid sha .t rotate. 'The' shaft 6 is driven by a pinion 12 secured to-the central portion thereof, and

whichpinionfis driven from a wheel-of the.

an odometer; shafttwhichcured in place to a wall of the casing 5 by screws 15, and which bracket serves also as a support for mechanism for resetting the trip odometer wheels 8 to a zero reading which mechanism, however, is not disclosed in detjailihrimihe only 'el erne iit" pr ,featii re of 'said r setting inechanisrh iieces'sifry to an understandin of the invention to which present app ication relates being a. laterally shiftable gjesetting gea r 16, which, when in position "shown in Figure 1, is in mesh with two like gears 17,:18 arranged side by side and rotatable about the axis of the shaft 6, and which resetting gear when shifted to the right will mesh with the gear 18C'only,"af1d l throngh *which resetting gear motion may be communicated to the said gear 18-'to"reset the trip odometer wheels 8.

" liaiid one "or seasonbdometer The pinion 12 and the gear 17 rotate in n ni'sonfand the gear '18 is operativelyconodometer Whee1's-'8, 'froin' which follows 'thatrot'ary motion willbe transmitted from the'pinion" 12'to said wheel when the parts are in the positions shown in Figure l ,"the' geanlti'then serving in'efiect as an idler gear""wb .ereby the-gears 17, 18 are locked together-and caused to rotate in unison: "It'=lw1ll' be' appreciated that the above referred to'is the rightwheel of odometer wheel or tenths the trip odometer iroup'g Fig'ur' the drawing showingt e'inechahisinags seen from a position within the? instrument-and looking toward theldial thereof,thetrip grou er wheels liein located to the left'fof the total group of wieelsin the'actnal instrumentand the relative positions of the two groups of wheels being asThere stated.

The trip odometer wheels to the right of the'first one which is driven by the gear 18 are'suppo'rte'd'by and rotatable upon a'hollow tubular shaft or support 19 surrounding and su 'ipo'rted by the shaft 6, and which tubular shaft is provided with a ending slot 20. This hollow shaft is'prevented suitable' restr'ainin means, the right hand ing into the baring rchaving a. recess 21into 22 pro'videdin the hearng extends, see" igure 4, in the embodiment'of my invention illustrated The total discs 7 are supported by a'ndrotatable about a tubular shaft or'supcess or seat '10 and ort "similar in construction and function 'to'"the tubular support 19, 'the right hand end thereo f being connected with the arm 13 through"holdingmeans adapted to prevent I its rotation with whereby 'the odometer shaft '6 ;it is supported, as will be understo'bdl j" Referring now particularly to the trip odp'rn'ete wheels wherein the features to' be described a re the more clearly shown, al-

with the rig"ht"hand one of 'the'trip from rotating-by any though they are also present in the season odometer wheels: Each two adjacent wheels are provided with a recess, and the side faces of said wheels move in contact or substantial contact with one another at the pc- ,ri ')her iesiof{the wheels, wherpby internal closed chambers 23ers provided between each two ad'oining wheels, said chamber being forme y the two recesses which register with one another. Theoiiter edges or cornersof 'the side'contactin faces or portionsiof the wheels are bevele as shown at 24, in order to reduce the friction between successive wheels, and in order to provide groups of odometer wheels wherein the numbers upon the several wheels are individualized, and "made to-appearf'set ofi and distinct each from the others, without the "presence of any gap or 'space between the wheels.

i Located within each chamber 23 is a carry on' "pinion "supporting member made up of two like discs'25 secured"togetiier to form a unitary structure as rivets 26, and'a portion'of 'each of which discs is bulged or offset to thereby provide-walls 27 spaced apart from one another; These walls are provided with openings in line with one another through whic'h'the hollow shaft 19 extends,- with other openings in line with one another and within' whi ch the ends of a shaft'28 of a carry-on pinion 29, or supporting pivotsformed integrally with the carry-on pipion are rotatably slipported,'and with keys 30 extending into'the groove 20 of the shaft 19 whereby" said supporting members are prevented from-rotating about thesaid shaft. 7

- 'A comparatively wide and stable support is thereby provided for the said carry-on pinion supporting members, and the fact that their s de walls 27. which are of 'comparatively large area; lie-close to the'en l wallsof the chambers 23 within which they are located prevents said members from tippin or'ntherwise becomin; displaced within fiieir chambers' The structural features of the said supports also keep the carry-on pinions 'whichthey supportin proper relation' with .thevteeth and gears ,upon said wheels which (o -operate with said carry-on pinion, and secure a smooth and satisfactorv operation of the parts inquest-ion.

Each odometer wheel of a lower denomination or order is provided with two internal teeth 32 which engage the teeth of the 'carry-on wheels 29 upon each rotation of said wheel, and drive said carry-on pinion to an amount or extent sufiicient to advance the odometer wheel of the next higher order or denomination one tenth of a rotation, the teeth of the carry-on pinions being in constant mesh with internal gears or teeth 33 carried by the driven or higher order wheels. (if course a wheel which i'cs between two and drivenby the teeth 32 portions of alterternal .teeth 32 the contact with one nate teethof said pinions are cut away. as shown at 50, lind an internal stop rm 34 carried by each lower order or driving w eel moves past the ends of the short teeth, and through the space provided by cutting E the alternate teeth, and contacts with the facesfor points of the long teeth not so cut away, to thereby lock the carry-on pinions against rotation while the said ring, is moving in engagement with said last mentioned teeth and until the teeth 32 again engage and operate the said carr -on pinions.

Secured to the left han end of the odom eter shaft dis adriving hub 35 having fiatteried sides, and which hub enters a similarly shaped opening provided in a driving member 36, said member being thus driven from the said haft and the same having two insame as the left hand one of the trip odometer wheels, said driving member orming in effect the first or shaft driven wheel of the season odometer wheels, although it has no figures, as figures. present thereu on would indicate tenth's'of a mile, which is a shorter distance than it is deemed necessary to register upon the total wheels.

,The driving member 36 is capable of latcralmoyement upon the driving hub 35,

and 37,is a spring having a central opening througl which the hub 35 ertends and which sp'ringacts between a promotingilang'e 38,

upon theljsaid hub andthe driving member 36, 'whereby sa1d member is torced against the left zhand one of the total odometer wheels aridallof said wheels are kept in another, all of said wheels being capable of movement longitudinally of the hollow shaft. whereupon they are supported.

In order to insure thatthe individual wheels which form the trip and total sets of odd eterjvheels' will come to rest in posir tions s u'chithatthe numbers upon them will be in alignment a plurality of resilient stop members, oneo wh1 ch is shown by itself in these stop .membe'rsbein shown'as providcd for each separatdwheei, although the use of such 'memb eristh'emore important in the wheels remote froml the driving, member and at which the back lash or. loosenes. the

.n reatcr; and in some cases said stop memhers are used in connection with the end wheel only of a series of odometer wheels. Said stop members comprise a hub portion 40 having a key 41 adapted to enter the slot shaped projections in the hollow tubular shafts whereby the total and trip odometer wheels are support ed, as best shown in Figure 6, to thereby prevent said stop members from rotating; and resilient arms the hub 40 and are provided with cone- 43 at their outer ends; the arms being resilient because of the fact that the entire stop member is ordinarily made from a spring material, such as hard brass.

The odometer wheels are provided with series of circumferentially arranged de pressions 44, see Figs. 6 and 7, such depres sio'ns being formed in the central webs of the wheels and their location being such that the projections 43 of the resilient stop memher will enter into said depressions; whereby the movement of the odometer wheels will be arrested and the wheels themselves stopped and yieldably held in fined position, the arrangement of the parts being such that when the projections 43 lie within the depressions 44 the figures upon the periphery of the odometer wheels will be in line,

It will be appreciated that the resilient stop members do not at all interfere with the forward movement of the several wheels, as the projections 43 readily slide out of the depression 44 when movement is transmitted from one wheel to another through the carry-on mechanism hereinbefore' described. It will also be appreciated that the resilient stop member may be provided each with a single arm and projection, although it is preferable to use double arms as a better balance is secured between the parts and a smoother operation thereof secured. Furthermore, although the total odometer discs only are shown in Figures 6 and 7 as equipped withresilientstopmembers;it will be appreciated that the trip odometer discs 'may be likewiseequipped' with such stop members should it be deemedlnecessary or desirable to do so.

Figures 9 and 10 illustrate amodified method of construction of the carry-on pinion'supporting member. In this form of said member two plates or discs 45, 46, functionally equivalent to the discs 25 hereinbefore described, are formed each with an off-set, portion 47, 48, whereby spaced end wallsare provided for supporting the ends of the carry-on pinion which the'member supports, as will be understood from Figure 9. These plates or discs are secured together by bending the side ed es of one of them over the edge of the si e of the other, as shown at 49, thus dispensing with the use of rivets, such as the rivets 26, and providing a supporting member which may be more readily made, and the cost of which is less than is the case in the form of supporting member herein first described.

Having thus described and explained my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In odometer mechanism of the clam described, a rotatable odometer shaft and means located cent-rally thereof for drivin; the same: bearings whereby the two ends of said shaft are supported; a third bearing for supporting the central portion of said shaft; a hollow shaft surrounding said odometer shaft and located between said central bearing and one of said end bearings: means for preventing said hollow shaft from rotating; two odometer wheels supported by and rotatable upon said hollow shaft; carruon mechanism located between said odometer heels and supported by said hollow shaft: and means for driving one of said odometer wheels from said odometer shaft.

2. In odometer mechanism of the class described, a rotating odometer shaft and means located centrally thereof for driving: the same; bearings whereby the two ends of said shaft are upported: a third bearing for supporting the central portion of said shaft: a hollow shaft surrounding said odometer shaft and located between said central hearing and one of said end hearings: means for preventing said hollow shaft from rotating; two recesed odometer wheels supported by'and rotatable upon said hollow shaft. and arranged with their peripheries in contact; a. carry-on pinion support located between said odometer wheels; means for preventing rotary movement of said support relative to said hollow shaft: a carry-on pinion carried by said support. and means whereby one of said wheels is driven from the other through said pinion; and means for driving one of said wheels from said odometer shaft.

3. In odometer mechanism of the class described. a rotatable odometer shaft and means for driving the same; bearings whereby the said shaft is supported: a hollow shaft surroundingand through which said odometer shaft extends; means for preventing said hollow shaft from rota ting; two recessed odometer wheels supported by and rotatable upon said hollow shaft and arranged with their peripheries in contact. to thereby provide a chamber between said wheels: a support located Within said chamber; means for preventing said support from rotating upon said hollow shaft; means carried by said support whereby one of said odometer wheels is driven from the other; and means for driving one of said odometer wheels from said odometer shaft.

4. In odometer mechanism of the class described; a casing having: two oppositely arranged seats formed in the side wall thereof; a rota table odometer shaft the ends of which are rotatable in hearings Supporter] within said seats: two odometer wheels located ad Jacent one another, a stationary' hollow shaft supported by said odometer shaft and extending into one of said seats and having means co-operating with said seat for preventing said shaft from rotating, and upon which shaft the said wheels are rotatable, a carry-on 'pinion support supported by said hollow shaft and located between said odometcr wheels, means for preventing said support from rotating upon said hollow shaft, a carry-on pinion supported bysaid support, means for driving one of said wheels from said odometer shaft, and means whereby the second of said wheels is driven from the first through said carry-on pinion.

5. In odometer mechanism of the class described, 11 casing having two oppositely located seats formed in the side wall thereof and which seats are open at one side; a rotatable odometer shaft the ends of which are supported in said seats: a stationary hollow shaft supported by said odometer shaft and having a longitudinally extending groove, and one end of which shaft extends into one of said seats. a key located within said seat and extending into a recess provided in said hollow shaft, two odometer wheels supported by and rotatable upon said hollow shaft, a carry-on pinion support supported by said hollow shaft and located between said wheels and having a key extending into said groove, :1 carry-on pinion carried by said support, means for driving one of said wheels from said odometer shaft, and means whereby the second of said wheels is driven from the first through said carry-on pinion.

6. In odometer mechanism of the class described, a carry-on pinion supporting member comprising two like discs secured together and a portion of each of which is bulged to thereby provide walls spaced apart. from one another, said walls hawng aligned openings to receive a shaft whereby said member is supported, and other aligned openings adapted to form bearings for supporting the ends of a shaft of'a carrybn pinion.

7. In odometer mechanism of the classdescribed, a carry-on pinionsupporting inguihcr ha Vin two Walls spaced apart from'one another, said walls having aligned openin to receive a shaft whereby said member 15 supported, and other aligned openings adapted to provide bearings for supporting the ends of a shaft of a carry-on pinion."

S. In odometer mechanism of theclass described, a stationary supporting'shaft; two recessed odometer wheels supported by said aft and rotatable thereupon; a carry-on pinion support located within the chamber rovided by said recessed wheels and capable of movement along said shaft, and which support is held against. rotation by said shaft; a series of depressions provided upon one of said wheels; a resilient stop member located within the recess aforesaid and amp ported by and capable of movement along said shaft, and which stop member is held against rotation by said shaft and is provided with a. projection adapted to enter said recesses to thereby arrest the movement of said wheel in a definite position; means for driving said first mentioned odometer wheel; and a carry-on pinion supported by said carry-on inion support and through which 10 the secon of said odometer wheels is driven from the first.

In testimony whereof I aflix mgsigiature.

JOSEPH E GE. 

